Serendipitous
by juvias
Summary: A drunken one night stand can turn into something amazing. [Gruvia] [Rated M]
1. Chapter I

"Sometimes, what you're looking for comes when you aren't looking at all."

 _ **Serendipitous**_

Chapter I

She couldn't remember much. There was a party, there was one drink after another, there was dancing, there was touching, and the next thing she knew she was being dragged into Gray's apartment. It would be hard to remember the events that were taking place once morning came, but Juvia couldn't care less. The only thing that mattered right now was that Gray's lips were on hers, and her hands were running swiftly through his hair.

It felt like her entire world was spinning. Her whole body was on fire as Gray lowered her onto his bed, kissing her hungrily when her back pressed against the firm mattress. Their kisses were drunk and sloppy, but still mesmerizing nonetheless. They were both just as desperate for skin on skin contact as they ripped off each other's clothes. His skin felt warm for once, and hers got even hotter when Gray pulled her closer against him.

This was honestly not the ending that Juvia imagined to her night out. She planned on having a few drinks and asking Gray to dance with her, but she never thought that Gray would lean in to kiss her. He was drunk, and so was she, but it was still real. Even if they were high on alcohol, the kisses and touching could still very well mean something. And _God_ did Juvia hope they did. She'd dreamt of this happening—dreamt of the feeling of Gray's skin sliding against hers. Her dream could have never prepared her for the real thing, though, because it felt absolutely amazing.

The way he kissed all over her body was breathtaking. No one else she'd been with could ever make her feel this way. Not in a million years.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia gasped when he sunk his teeth lightly into her shoulder. He groaned in response, sucking on her delicious skin. His roaming hands fit perfectly over her breasts as he squeezed. As his fingers toyed with her nipples, she tugged roughly onto his hair. The sounds that came from his mouth were absolutely hypnotizing, and she felt like she could come just from hearing his moans.

They clung onto each other, desperate for each other's body warmth. Gray was quick to discard his underwear, and she didn't even realize he'd taken them off until she felt his unclothed erection press against her entrance. When he slowly pushed himself in and their bodies finally connected in the most intimate way, it took her breath away. She sighed blissfully, running her hands down his back as he rocked his hips into her. His moans filled her ear, and she swore she'd never heard anything more enchanting. Moaning as well, she lifted her hips to meet his movements.

Juvia knew he would regret this in the morning, but in a way it seemed like he needed it; he needed her. They'd both been through so much together, and intimacy was like medicine. Whenever she had tried to get close to him like this in the past, he would push her away. It was the same excuse every time, even if he absolutely craved her just as much as she craved him. She knew he was always so hesitant, but when you're intoxicated and your entire body is filled with want and longing, that hesitance can disappear. And thank _God_ for that, because Gray wasn't hesitant at all with pleasing her tonight.

When Juvia knew she was going to hit her peak, she wrapped her legs around Gray's waist and pressed her heels into his lower back. The sudden position caused him to fill her more and go deeper within her. The feeling made her cry out and moan, sending jolts of pleasure throughout her entire body. His movements became more rough and vigorous, and she knew nothing could prepare her for her release. She arched her back when he began biting and sucking at her neck.

"Gray-sama, please..." she whined, scraping her nails down his back, earning a moan from him. That would definitely leave a few marks. "H-Harder..."

Hitting a sweet spot within her, Gray pulled his head up from her neck and crashed his lips against hers. He kissed her hungrily while he pounded into her and hit that sweet spot over and over again.

Juvia's moans became louder until they broke out into a full on scream. When he angled himself in just the right way and slammed into her once more, she finally hit her peak. She clutched onto his shoulders and cried out in pleasure. It was one of the most amazing feelings of her life, and was without a doubt the best orgasm she'd ever had. The boys she'd been with before could never meet Gray's level of skill. As she came down from her high, she felt her back sink against the bed once again.

Gray continued rocking his hips, desperately trying to find his own release. The movements still felt just as amazing, and she could feel herself climbing back up towards another orgasm. The first one was great, but a two-in-one would most likely complete her life. As he hit her sweet spot again, she began to moan once more. Juvia suddenly felt confident, and decided to turn them over. She pressed her hands down against his chest, letting them run over his stomach as she caressed his muscles. Lifting herself from him, she sunk back down against his length. Gray groaned and meanly gripped her hips. He lifted his own hips to create more movement as she rode him. Her hands left his chest and gripped the sheets below her; she continued to vigorously rise and sink on him. Her walls clenched around him, and t didn't take much longer for her to hit her peak once again.

He had managed to come after her, and he let out a low groan before spilling into her and collapsing against the bed. She slowly rode out her orgasm, not wanting the feeling to go away. It would always be in her mind, though, and she could already feel sore between her legs. Juvia lifted herself off of him and fell against the other side of the bed. Looking towards Gray, she smiled lightly to see his peaceful expression. He was still drunk off of all the drinks he had, but even more drunk off her. He curled up against her and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She did the same, surprised by the sudden closeness—even if they were just together in the most intimate ways possible. It just felt so _natural_ , laying there in the afterglow of the intimacy they shared together.

Was it appropriate to call it lovemaking? Hell, she didn't even care. If _that_ wasn't love, she didn't know what was. No other man had ever pleased her the way Gray did. And she prayed to God that that wasn't the only time they would ever be close like that again.

Juvia traced patterns on Gray's back and felt his chest rise and fall. He sighed lowly in response, burying his face in her neck before inhaling her scent. She knew she was sweaty, so she probably didn't smell very good. But what else could you expect after having the best sex of your life? He sure didn't seem to mind. Once she knew Gray had fallen asleep, Juvia closed her eyes and let her much needed slumber consume her.

* * *

When she woke up, a painful headache hit her. She had no idea where she was at first.

As she became more aware of her surroundings, she tried to move, but found herself attached to someone. Juvia opened her eyes slowly and adjusted to the sudden brightness before they fell upon the person laying next to her. And not just _any_ person; it was none other than Gray Fullbuster, lying completely bare and curled up against her.

Images of the events that took place last night began flashing through her mind. She suddenly remembered the party, the several drinks she had, the dancing, the dragging up to his apartment, and every sweet thing that came afterwards. Her cheeks filled with color as she recalled how amazing their lovemaking had been. That memory stuck in her head, and she was reminded by the feeling between her legs as she felt deliciously sore.

A small fear had grown within her, though, as she realized that Gray would deeply regret what they did once he woke up. Would he remember anything? He couldn't if he didn't see her...

Making up her mind, Juvia slipped out of Gray's arms and swiftly got up from his bed. She looked for her clothes that were scattered across the room. The events that had taken place began to go through her mind again. She fondly recalled the feeling of him practically tearing at her clothes due to the desire to feel her skin.

Shaking her head, she brushed away the memories and picked up her clothes. Juvia wasted no time in putting them on, and she found herself starting to hurry when she heard Gray stir. When she was finally clothed, she left the apartment quickly and didn't look back. What if he remembered when he woke up? She'd never be able to face him again; she would be way too embarrassed to even get near him. Even if he didn't remember, there would still be a hint of nervousness within her.

Juvia sighed deeply as she walked quickly down the sidewalk. All she could think about was going back to her own apartment, taking some medicine, and sleeping for maybe a day or two.

When she finally reached her apartment, she immediately went into the bathroom and shoved some medicine down her throat. Juvia groaned, her head pounding as she exited her bathroom. She made her way to her bedroom, where she collapsed on her bed and fell asleep within minutes.

Little did she know that all hell was going to break loose within her mind once she woke up.

* * *

When she came to, her headache had gone down. She glanced at the clock to see that it was almost noon. Juvia sat up in her bed and stared blankly in front of her. Her hair was a mess and she definitely had a few bags under her eyes. When she woke up in Gray's bedroom, she didn't have the time to realize that she looked like utter shit.

Juvia stood up from her bed and stumbled over to her dresser. Picking out her usual everyday clothes and laying them out on her bed, she exited her bedroom and made her way into the bathroom. With every step she took, she felt a soreness in between her legs. It felt a little painful, but it was the good kind of pain—like a pleasurable pain. The feeling was also a reminder of the amazing event that took place the night before.

The memory made her think about how Gray could possibly feel when he woke up. Would he remember? She sure hoped he wouldn't. But at the same time, something good could come out of it. What if he wanted to be with her? If that were to ever happen, Juvia would probably die of happiness. Even though it wasn't likely, because sex didn't automatically mean you had to get married and have kids.

As she turned on the shower, Juvia began discarding the dress that she had worn to the party last night. Her dress might have been the main source of Gray's attention. It was, noticeably, extremely short. The color of the dress itself was black, and it had a fancy type of straps. She had also worn some regular black heels. Her outfit revealed a lot of skin, and it must have been the reason Gray approached her.

He had gotten incredibly close to her as well while they were dancing. They'd danced as close together as they could get, their bodies touching with every movement. It seemed like a cliché moment, but Juvia was enjoying every minute of it. When he kissed her, though, it absolutely took her breath away. It also surprised her and she had no idea what was happening at first.

Once she realized that Gray was actually kissing her, she relaxed against him. It was an innocent kiss at first, but became more heated and passionate as they continued. They had taken a few more drinks together before Gray suggested they go back to his place. He didn't really suggest it, he simply told her that he wanted to leave, and she immediately obliged. It didn't really matter where they were going or what they were doing, she just felt special that he asked her to go with him. Everyone else at the guild party was too intoxicated to notice that they left together, or that they were previously so intimate with each other.

She hadn't even realized what he wanted to do when he dragged her up to his apartment, but she eventually caught on. The whole thing excited her, and she was completely entranced by his kisses and roaming hands.

The entire experience was unforgettable; it was like her first time all over again, but except way better than her actual first time. Way, _way_ better.

As she replayed the entire night in her mind, Juvia stepped into the shower and let the warm water run down her body. It felt nice to get a shower after a night like that; it was relaxing. She washed her hair and body, taking her time and enjoying the sensation of the warm water.

She turned off the water when she was done, ringing out her hair before stepping out of the shower. She wrapped herself in her towel and left the bathroom. After walking past the kitchen, she decided to make herself some breakfast. She turned back and looked around for some random ingredients to make a simple dish. While her food was heating up, Juvia walked back to her bedroom to quickly change. She rushed back into the kitchen once she was done to check on her food and ate it when it was done.

Juvia tried to finish her morning routine quickly so she could head to the guild and see if Gray was there. She had to admit that she was anxious and worried about what he might say. Perhaps she should avoid him? No, Juvia always thought it was better to just bite the bullet and get it over with.

As she was putting on her shoes and opening the door to her apartment, she ran into something. Not something, but someone. Juvia quickly looked up, and was shocked to see that Gray was standing there in her doorway.

What the hell was he doing there?

Looking at him automatically reminded him that they slept together the night before, and he somehow looked different to her. It was a weird glow that made it seem like he was hers, but he really wasn't. Well, at least she wanted him to be.

"G-Gray-sama!" Juvia squeaked in surprise. "W-What are you doing here?"

Gray raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but brushed it off. He held his hand out towards her. "I found this at my apartment."

Looking down, her eyes widened when she saw that he had her lacrima phone. How could she have left that at his house? How could she be so stupid?

"I must have accidentally brought it home with me."

Juvia's eyes filled with more surprise, before sighing and laughing nervously. She gently took it from his hand, letting her touch linger for a moment before pulling away. "Y-Yes, Juvia is always putting her phone in places it doesn't belong."

Scratching the back of his head, Gray nonchalantly cleared his throat. "It's fine. I'm just glad someone else didn't take it."

"Oh, was Gray-sama thinking of Juvia?" the bluenette blushed. "How sweet."

Gray kissed his teeth, his face vaguely flushing in embarrassment. "Whatever."

A long moment of silence had passed before one of them spoke again.

"Well, I gotta head to the guild," Gray stated. "You coming?"

"Oh, uh..." Juvia said nervously. "Not today. Juvia has something she needs to do."

Shrugging, Gray scratched the back of his head. "Alright," he replied. "See you later, then."

"Yes," Juvia nodded, smiling wide.

He waved once before exiting the apartment. When he was out of sight, Juvia closed the door; she leaned her back against it and sighed heavily. He didn't seem to remember, which was good. Probably. It's not like he would find out; they were the only two who knew about their "one night stand." Probably. Most likely. It was possible for people to have seen them, but everyone else was drunk. Why would someone focus on them for more than a minute? It surely wasn't probable.

Juvia sighed again. She became paranoid of the possibility that he would find out. It would be best to tell him, but she didn't want their friendship to become affected by it. Anything could happen in this situation, and Gray has always been so straightforward. If he wanted to stop talking her entirely, he would most likely act on it. Then again, Gray was also a nice person; he wouldn't do that to her. They'd both been through so much together, and she knew for a fact that he couldn't just drop her because they slept together.

She decided she would tell him, but was going to wait a few days or weeks to do so. Maybe it would be for the best to let some time pass. She could always say that she only just remembered that day, which would make her look less guilty for keeping it from him. It would also be a lie, and Juvia was never good at lying—especially to Gray. He would, hopefully, understand why she decided to wait a while to tell him. Even if he didn't, she was still trying to stay confident with the idea that he would be okay with everything.

Groaning in frustration, she collapsed onto her couch. There was no way she could get out of this without something happening to her and Gray's relationship. She would just have to wait and see what the future held for her.


	2. Chapter II

_**Serendipitous**_

Chapter II

Juvia's decision to wait a while before telling Gray what happened was a bad decision. Her paranoia kicked in, and she continued to avoid it out of fear that she would lose him. Most of the time, she stayed cooped up within the walls of her apartment. No one really wondered why she had been avoiding the guild—more particularly, Gray. Most of them probably just thought she was sick or something, but she couldn't keep that act up for long. Someone would eventually figure out that something was wrong, and she wouldn't be able to hide it anymore.

Sighing deeply, Juvia sat up in bed after lying there for a few minutes. There wasn't much to do while hiding out in an apartment; it was quite boring, actually. She had Gajeel over a few times, but she decided to keep the fact that her and Gray slept together from him. It was mainly out of fear that he would immediately want to kill Gray, and she really didn't want that to happen. Even if she was avoiding him, she was still very much in love with him—even more than before.

While she stayed hidden in her apartment, she often found herself replaying their lovemaking in her mind. It was undeniably the best sex of her life, and she was surprised that Gray hadn't caught on yet. The thought made her feel guilty, because he deserved to know what happened. Juvia was just so terrible at confrontation, and she wasn't ready to tell the love of her life that they had drunken sex. No one _ever_ wants to hear that, especially if it was with someone you knew. And not just anyone you knew, but the person who's been in love with you for years.

Even though she was nervous to talk to Gray, she constantly wanted him all over again. If she ever wanted to be with him like that again, she needed to tell him. It wasn't _just_ because of the amazing sex, though. That was just a bonus; it also had the possibilities of a romantic relationship between the two. The thought made Juvia anticipate it, but she knew that she shouldn't get her hopes up. Gray was a very unpredictable man, and she needed to be prepared for anything. But the only thing she could think about at the moment was Gray kissing her, and the way he felt on top of her, and...

Jesus christ, she really needed to stop.

It was difficult to stop thinking about him and their night together, but the thoughts had eventually subsided from her mind. It gave her some time to think about how she would tell Gray. There was no easy way of telling someone, so she needed to plan everything out. It wasn't going to be stuttered or suspenseful, it would be done right. Juvia knew that anything could happen, so she needed to keep an open mind to all of the possibilities. The outcome could be good, and her and Gray could get married and live happily ever after—well, that was a little far fetched, but a girl could dream.

Or the opposite of what she wanted could happen. Gray could get pissed and want nothing to do with her, and Juvia prayed to God that that wouldn't happen. She wouldn't know what to do with herself if Gray disappeared from her life. A life without Gray, for her, was a life without true happiness. It was a life that had rain; Juvia didn't want that again. She couldn't go back to it.

Juvia hugged her knees and buried her face there, trying to hold back a few tears. Just the thought of being without him made her want to cry and sob. It was hard to stop the emotions, but she eventually held herself together and lifted her head up. She never knew when she suddenly became so dependent on him, but being around him was like being cured of a disease. Gray undeniably spun her world round and round, and she never wanted it to stop. Juvia would be alright with it spinning forever on loop if she could be with him again.

After staring at the wall for quite some time, Juvia got up from her bed and made her way into the kitchen. Even if she was depressed, she still got pretty hungry during the day. She decided to make herself some soup and read a book she'd been meaning to start for a while. It was a cliché romance novel—no surprise there—and she had been looking forward to reading it.

While she was finishing up the last spoonfuls of her soup, she heard a knock on the door. That annoyed her a little bit, even though she really didn't mind visitors. It was just exhausting to see others at the moment. Juvia groaned before getting up from her spot on the couch and answered the door. She immediately knew who was there, and wasn't surprised at all. Her best friend, Gajeel, stood there with his arms crossed in disappointment. He also had a worried look, but he looked more disappointed than anything else.

"Why have you been avoiding the guild?" he immediately asked, not allowing her to say anything.

Juvia sighed. "Something just... came up."

He rolled his eyes. "That's bullshit and you know it."

Frowning, Juvia turned away and walked back towards her couch. As she sat back down, she heard the door close. Gajeel sat next to her, looking down in his lap.

"Juvia," he said, "if something's wrong, you can talk to me about it."

The bluenette nodded. "Juvia knows."

"So, nothing's wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" Juvia replied nervously.

His eyebrows furrowed together. "Did that stripper do something to you?"

Juvia's eyes widened, covering her cheeks from an oncoming blush. "N-No!"

Gajeel groaned. "Either you're gonna tell me or you aren't. Your choice."

Sighing, Juvia stood up. "I'll tell you later," she told him. "I need to take care of something first."

"Fine," Gajeel huffed and stood from his seat on the couch. "Anyways, I gotta go. I'm going on a job with Levy."

"Have fun," the bluenette teased, smirking as he walked towards the door.

"Shut up!" Gajeel yelled before slamming the apartment door behind him.

* * *

After a few days of hiding out in her apartment, Juvia finally decided to go back to the guild. It felt different, but it was nice to see her friends again.

Everyone was worried, though, because she didn't immediately go looking for Gray when she entered the guild. Most of them tried to ignore it, but her closer friends weren't buying it. Once she sat down, Lucy had immediately bombarded her with questions.

"Wow," the blonde said in surprise. "Your first day back at the guild and you aren't hunting Gray down. Did something happen?"

Juvia laughed lightly. "No, Lucy-chan," she lied. "Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Juvia is sure."

Well, she didn't exactly _bombard_ her with questions, but it sure felt like she did. Juvia was nervous that Lucy would see right through her, but the other girl seemed convinced. After the conversation was over, Juvia looked up and scanned the room. She found that Gray wasn't there, which wasn't surprising. He was probably out on a job or something along those lines.

"Where is Gray-sama, anyways?" the bluenette asked curiously.

"Oh," Lucy replied. "He went out on a job with Cana."

"Really?" Juvia asked, shocked. The two weren't exactly the bestest of friends, and they didn't usually go out on jobs together. Alone.

"Yeah," she told her. "Not sure why."

Juvia felt a tinge of jealousy that Gray was on a job, _alone_ , with Cana. What were they doing? Kissing? Worse? She sighed deeply; that most likely wasn't the case. Juvia always found herself getting worried and jealous over the most stupid things, and she _really_ was trying to stop them. But how can you do that when the man that you're deeply in love with hangs around so many girls? It's normal to get jealous, but probably not as normal to be possessive towards him. Gray wasn't even truly hers, so why does she have to act like this?

Wow, having sex with someone really makes you think differently. Juvia definitely wouldn't be thinking about this if her and Gray hadn't slept together. Did he manage to change her point of view towards him just from one night together?

The memory of that night fled her mind again, and she felt her cheeks get hot.

Lucy immediately noticed her friend's change of emotion. "Is something wrong, Juvia?"

"Juvia has to go," the bluenette said. "Goodbye, Lucy-chan."

She quickly left the guild, hoping that no one was following her. Juvia knew that if she kept getting flustered in front of the other guild members, people will eventually find out that something was up. And she didn't want anyone to find out about what happened between her and Gray, not before _he_ did. That's when she decided that she needed to talk to Gray as soon as he got home from his job. It was now or never.

* * *

As Juvia waited for the day to end so she could hurry to the guild the next day to tell Gray, she got incredibly anxious. She decided to wait until tomorrow, so she didn't have to stop him right after arriving home from a job. It seemed like another way to avoid it, but either way, she was going to wish she told him sooner.

A few hours after she had gone back to her apartment, someone had started pound against her door. Juvia was nervous to open it, but she knew she couldn't hide forever.

As soon as she opened it, Gray was rushing into her apartment madder than ever.

"Juvia, what the hell?!" he yelled, not even giving her time to greet him.

"What, Gray-sama?" she asked nervously. Did he know?

"How could you not tell me we had sex?!"

 _Shit_ , he did know.

"Um..."

"Like, I remember doing it, but not with you!" he continued to yell. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"H-How did you find out, exactly?"

"So you did know?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing together even more than they already had.

Juvia frowned, not knowing what to say.

Sighing, Gray ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Cana told me she saw us kiss and then leave."

"Oh..." Juvia whispered. Of course Cana just _had_ to see them leave. She's terrible at keeping her mouth shut.

"Yeah, _oh_ ," he said cruelly. "How long did you think you could keep it a secret?!"

Juvia felt angrier and angrier by the second. Why was he being so cruel to her? "Stop yelling at Juvia!" she exclaimed. "Juvia wanted to wait a few days before telling you! _And_ she decided that she was going to tell you tomorrow! So quit being such an ass!"

Gray was shocked at her response, and so was Juvia. It wasn't like her to yell at him, and both of them realized that.

He sighed again, leaning against her apartment wall. "Why did you want to wait a few days before telling me? And why were you in such a rush to leave the morning after?"

"Juvia panicked," Juvia frowned, looking down towards the ground. "And it's not easy telling someone you like that you... had sex with them while drunk."

Gray's eyes suddenly softened. "I understand," he told her. "It's happened to me a few times."

That made her even more jealous than she was before. Juvia knew that Gray had slept around a lot, but the mention of it made her blood boil. "So… are we okay?"

"Define _okay_ ," he said sarcastically.

Juvia frowned. His sarcasm wasn't amusing to the situation, and she did not appreciate it at all.

"Yeah," Gray mumbled. "We're good. As long as nothing changes."

Juvia's eyes widened slightly. "Nothing changes?"

"Yeah, like," he paused, trying to search for the right words, "this doesn't affect our friendship. Does that sound okay?"

The bluenette bit her lip. "Juvia supposes."

Gray gave a small smirk and pat the top of her head. "Good," he said. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"It's fine..." Juvia muttered.

"Anyways," he began. "I gotta head back to my apartment. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Juvia whispered, but he was long gone by the time she managed to get the one word out. She was heartbroken.

* * *

 **A/N:** sorry i havent been updating any of my fics lately lmao senior year is kicking my ass and im in independent study how does this happen. anyways i havent even started on new chapters for girl next door or love will find a way (if any of the ppl reading my gruvia fics also read that fic...?) so pls be patient sorry again school is just all over the place and im going to see melanie martinez in concert next week and. i cant handle it

oK thanks for reading special thanks 2 **Baby pink 'n blue** , **Summer Eclair** , **Darkhope** , **Shinji777** , **SN2797** , **agirlworthfighting4** , and the 3 guests for reviewing! love ya byeee


	3. Chapter III

**A/N:** i decided that it would be pretty boring if i only had this from juvia's POV. someone said itd be cool to see stuff from gray's POV, so ill try it out! every time theres a page break, the POV is switching, so please keep that in mind! im thinking of doing this for girl next door too, but i feel like its a little too far in to do that. to any readers that are also reading that fic, what do you think? please let me know! anyways, i hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 _ **Serendipitous**_

Chapter III

"It was about time you two hooked up."

Nothing Gray ever heard before had brought him more confusion than what Cana said. They had been on a job that day, and random words escaped her lips that he didn't understand. _Who_ did he exactly hook up with the night of that party? That was all he could think of when she started talking nonsense. It wasn't that hard to figure out—it took him about a minute. Gray's eyes had traveled from Cana's smirk to anywhere else he could look.

He remembered having sex with someone that night, and he was more than relieved when he woke up. It wasn't everyday that you woke up and your one night stand had left. All the girls he hooked up with usually stayed and tried to get farther with him, but he never allowed it. A romantic relationship was never something he was really looking for. And he knew that even if he _was_ looking for one, he definitely wouldn't find it with some random girl that he just met. Not in a long shot.

And Gray would have never in a million years guessed that the woman he slept with was Juvia. From their night together, it was obvious that she was experienced. The way she had responded against him and met his rough movements told him just that. But he had always assumed that Juvia was a virgin, or that she had only done it one time with ex boyfriend. It had never crossed his mind that she could have had sexual encounters with other people before she fell for him.

He sure was wrong.

Gray didn't even know what to think when Cana told him that she saw him and Juvia leave together. The party was stupid, in his opinion, but Gray was in the mood to drink and found himself staying longer than he should have. His vision had gone blurry when he began dancing with a mystery woman, who wasn't really a mystery anymore. The only thing he remembered was how great she looked in that dress, and how hot their night was together. Gray didn't even question it when he found Juvia's lacrima phone in his bedroom; he just assumed that he had taken it home by accident.

And how stupid was he.

Anger had overwhelmed him more than it should have. He shouldn't have been so mad at Juvia—he could relate to what she had been feeling. But there was something about their night together that made him want more. What was it about her that he found so intriguing? Gray couldn't deny that it was pretty good sex, and he'd love to do it again. Most likely not with Juvia, though. He's tried so hard to keep his feelings at bay, because only God knew what would happen if he got closer to her. Probably everything he didn't want to happen to her.

He was relieved when she agreed to his compromise—nothing changes. Their friendship would stay the same, and nothing would be awkward. Or at least he hoped it would.

Juvia was avoiding him a lot more, and he couldn't understand why. They were on the same page, right? He of course knew that she wouldn't let go of their night as easily as he could, but it might be more simple than Gray saw it. There was always the possibility that _all_ Juvia wanted from him was sex, and he'd finally given it to her. Kind of.

Even if Gray thought that she'd get over it, there was a thought inside him that told him that that would never be the case. She'd continue wanting him—even more than before—and there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn't that he didn't like her, he just didn't want to hurt her. He'd never be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to her.

Cana had agreed to keep what she saw a secret in exchange for all the jewels earned on that job. It was tough to agree to, but he knew he would live. Jobs were easy to get since Fairy Tail rebanded; he could get a new one within a few hours.

Thinking back on the memory gave Gray a lot of different thoughts that he wasn't in the mood for. Sighing, the man continued on his regular walk from his apartment to the guild. He soon reached the building and opened the front doors with swift motions. He immediately saw the familiar head of bright blue hair, and decided to break the awkwardness once and for all.

"Hey," he greeted.

The sudden voice had surprised her, he noticed.

"O-Oh," she stuttered. "Hello, Gray-sama."

He frowned at her forced smile.

"How've you been?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Juvia has been fine," she replied, shrugging. "It's been a slow week."

Gray knew that she was talking about jobs. The mention of it reminded him why he was there—he had a job that day. His main goal was to do it alone, but it was obvious that Juvia needed to go on one as well.

"I'm about to go on a job," he told her. "You could come...?"

"Oh," she said immediately after the words left his lips. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Juvia doesn't want to be a bother," she sighed.

Gray's eyes softened. "You aren't."

She stood, then, smiling lightly. "If you say so. Juvia would love to come."

* * *

It was difficult for her to accept his offer. The Juvia from a few weeks ago would have jumped at the offer to go on a job with Gray. But the one that was just rejected by him after their drunken one night stand was hesitant. She knew that he wouldn't give up until she said yes, so she decided to accept.

The job wasn't a simple one. She was surprised that Gray had wanted to do it by himself. He was strong, but not as strong alone and without someone to back him up. Juvia had assumed he would have gotten team Natsu instead, but it appeared that he wanted _her_ to go with him.

Which was strange—why would he want her to? After their agreement, she thought that the awkwardness would continue forever. Most of it was from her, but she simply couldn't help it. She also couldn't help feeling a twinge of pain in her chest every time she saw him. Seeing him reminded Juvia of the rejection she had to face when he barged into her apartment just a few days ago. It was one of the hardest yet simplest things she's ever had to go through, next to leaving his apartment after their drunken lovemaking.

Knowing that Gray didn't see it as lovemaking made her heart hurt. He only saw it as sex, a mistake. A night that should have never happened. What-if's most likely flooded his mind, and Juvia couldn't bare to imagine not feeling him so close and inside her.

Heat had risen to her cheeks, and she had trouble hiding it from him.

"You alright, Juvia?"

The bluenette froze. They had been walking down a familiar path for quite some time; Juvia's thoughts must have caused her to drift off.

"Y-Yes," she told him nervously.

Gray obviously wasn't buying it. He sighed and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. It seemed he decided to ignore it for now. It would be best to just focus on the task at hand, and she sensed that he would confront her later.

They continued walking for a while, which lead to silence between the two.

"So, what is the job again?" she asked, even though she already knew. She just needed _something_ to break the silence between them.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the piece of paper with the job assignment on it. He scratched the back of his head before speaking.

"A man's son was kidnapped by treasure hunters that want something from him." Gray sighed. "We need to get him out safely." There wasn't much to it, because the rest of the information was going to be given when they got there.

"Right."

The silence continued until they reached the city, and Juvia was just hoping they would get to the man's soon. She couldn't stand the awkwardness. It was never like this before they slept together; Juvia wishes it was still like that, but it wasn't.

* * *

By the time they reached the man's house, Gray was overwhelmed by the ringing in his ears from the silence. He wanted to talk to Juvia, but he had no idea what to talk about. It was much easier to have a conversation with her before they had sex. All he wondered was why it couldn't still be that way. He knew that it would take a while for Juvia to adjust, but he really couldn't.

Gray hadn't realized that he was knocking on the door to the house until the man answered.

"Ah, you must be the mages from Fairy Tail," he said somberly. "Thank you so much for coming, my name is Fujimoto."

Gray gave a small grin. "No problem," he replied. "I'm Gray."

"Juvia," the bluenette responded quickly after.

Fujimoto's facial expressions were a mix of sadness and anger. It must be tough to have to go through such a thing as your son being kidnapped.

"Please, come in."

As the two made their way in, Juvia took in just how large the house was on the inside. She knew little about Fujimoto and his wealth, but she didn't know that he was _this_ wealthy.

"Would you mind explaining a little more about what happened, sir?" Gray asked.

Fujimoto sighed. It must have been painful just to think about it.

"About two or so treasure hunters tried to rob my house, but they couldn't find what they were looking for," Fujimoto explained. "So, they took my son as a way to pry it out of me."

"I see," Gray said. "What was it they were looking for?"

The man sighed once again. It was easy to notice that Fujimoto was hesitant to discuss the subject. But he knew that if he wanted his son back, he'd have to tell them everything he could. Fujimoto pulled the sleeve to his suit jacket down, revealing a watch.

"This is a magic watch given to me by my wife," he began. "It is all I have left of her."

Gray was going to ask him a question, but Fujimoto must have already known what he was going to ask.

"My wife died in a house fire a few years ago," he said. "My son and I were the only ones that survived. Nothing inside the house was able to be saved, and this watch is the only item I have left of my wife."

"Wouldn't you rather have your son, other than a watch?" Juvia asked out of pure curiousity.

"I thought you might ask that," the man laughed lightly. "Before I give them my watch, I want to consider all of my options. I planned on passing this down to my son so he could have something that belonged to his mother. I know he doesn't remember much about her."

"Juvia understands," the bluenette frowned. "What is your son's name?"

Fujimoto gave a small smile. "Rowan."

"Well, we promise we'll get Rowan back to you soon," Gray told him. "Any idea on where the treasure hunters are located?"

"They aren't far from here," the man told them. "I know that they are in the city, and they don't do a good job at hiding themselves."

"Do you know what any of them look like?"

"Very little," he replied. "One of them had an eyebrow piercing, while another one had green hair. It's possible that there was more than two, but it was hard to tell.

"That's more than enough description," Gray said confidently. "We're staying in a motel a few blocks away from here. We will contact you with updates on the situation."

"Ah, thank you so much," Fujimoto smiled, sighing in relief.

After saying their goodbyes, Gray and Juvia quickly left so they could check into their motel and start a plan. And deep down, Gray knew that this job wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

"How should we go about this?" Juvia asked, sitting on the edge of her motel bed.

Gray's eyebrows knitted together. "I'm not sure," he replied. "We should start with asking around town to see if anyone knows about the treasure hunters."

Juvia nodded, looking directly at him. His eyes had hovered towards his feet, and it was obvious that he was deep in thought. Immediately after they stepped inside the room, he removed his shirt. It was typical Gray, but seeing his bare chest gave her a different feeling than before. All it did was make her want him again even more, but Juvia knew that that wasn't going to happen. Gray made it very clear that their night together was a mistake, and there he was acting like nothing happened. It infuriated her.

"We should go ask around right now," Juvia suggested, trying to get her mind to stop thinking about that. She needed to focus on the mission.

Gray looked up at her. "It's late, I doubt anyone is gonna want to talk at this hour."

"We could at least try," the bluenette frowned.

"Or we could go to sleep now and get a head start in the morning."

She knew Gray was right, but Juvia felt the need to do something.

"You can go to sleep," she told him before standing up. "Juvia is going to get some leads. You are welcome to join her."

Gray's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "No way,"

"Why not?" Juvia sighed.

"We aren't splitting up," he said. "It could be dangerous to go alone, and we can't risk anything bad happening to either of us on the mission."

Juvia crossed her arms and huffed. "You are just saying that because Juvia is a girl."

"What? Why would you think that?" Gray asked before groaning in frustration. "Look, it doesn't matter. I know that you're powerful and you can handle yourself, but we don't know this city. We don't know what these treasure hunters are capable of."

She had to admit that she agreed, but Juvia couldn't stand wasting a whole night. "Then why won't you go with Juvia?"

"It's been a long day," he replied simply. "We both need a good night sleep so we can begin our search tomorrow."

"Juvia supposes…" she whispered. "But it still feels wrong just sitting here doing nothing. We have to do something!"

Gray sighed. "I want to do something, too, but it wouldn't be smart to do anything right now. We need to think through this carefully and plan out everything we're going to do."

There was a moment of silence before Juvia spoke again. "Well, Juvia has thought through it and has decided that she will be looking for leads tonight—with, or without you!"

She stood from the bed and walked towards the door, but Gray was quick to get in front of her.

"I won't let you," he told her. "You're going way too over your head. It's too risky for you to go by yourself."

"Then come with Juvia!" she yelled.

"We can't go out there yet!" Gray yelled back. "Look, you're being stubborn about this. I promise we'll head out first thing in the morning. Please, just promise me that you'll stay here and get some sleep."

Juvia knew that he wasn't going to change his mind. "Fine."

She walked over to her bed and sat down, facing away from him. She could feel Gray come up behind her, and melted when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find Rowan in time," Gray reassured her. "I promise."

Juvia knew that they would, because she planned on going out there tonight. It could be dire to the mission, and she didn't want to regret not going against Gray's wishes.

Once Gray had settled into his bed and fallen asleep, Juvia made her move. She tried her best to be as quiet as possible, but the motel was old .The floorboards creaked as she walked and it caused the furniture in the room to wobble slightly. Juvia looked at him, sleeping soundly in his motel bed. She wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him and be enveloped in his warmth, but she knew that it would never be wise to do that.

Turning around and walking back towards the door, Juvia managed to successfully make it out of the motel room without waking Gray up. She shut the door quietly behind her and quickly made her way out into the city's streets. There were a lot of people out at this hour, most likely because it was a weekend. Parents had probably hired babysitters so they could spend a night out together. Several adults scattered across the sidewalks, and Juvia knew that she needed to ask around before Gray woke up and came looking for her.

She tried asking every person she saw, but she mainly came up empty handed. A few people had known who she was talking about, but they didn't know where they were located. Juvia decided to ask people lurking around in the alleys. It was dangerous, but she knew she could handle herself.

"Excuse me, sir?" Juvia said, approaching a man that was leaning against the alley wall. "Would it be alright for Juvia to ask you a few questions?"

"Ask away, darling," he replied, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Are you familiar with the treasure hunters in this city?"

The question had peaked his interest, Juvia noticed. "Yes."

"Really? That's great!" she said. "Do you have any information on them?"

"Yes," the man said again.

Juvia wait patiently for him to continue, but he didn't seem to be responding. After a moment, she noticed that two other men had approached her from behind. She noticed that one of them had green hair. Juvia gasped, knowing that one of the treasure hunters had green hair. She looked back at the other man, who had moved his bangs away from his face to reveal an eyebrow piercing. Her eyes widened in fear, but soon began to think about a way to get out of this.

"I think the real question is, sweetheart," the man with the eyebrow piercing said, throwing his cigarette butt on the ground and crushing it beneath his boot, "what information do you have about _us_?"

The bluenette knew that it would be hard to get out of this, but soon thought of a plan.

"I do…"

"And?"

Juvia stepped back, feeling her back press against the wall. "Water Slicer!"

* * *

Gray woke up in a jolt, but he was unsure what had caused him to wake up. He immediately looked towards the bed next to his, finding it empty. His immediate emotion was fear, followed by worry. What the hell was Juvia thinking? Why would she go out there, even after promising that she wouldn't? Gray concluded that she was an idiot with a death wish before rushing out the door to their motel.

It took him a while to find her, but a feminine scream had lead him into an alley. Even if it was difficult to figure out, Juvia knew that she was facing against the treasure hunters. Puddles of water could be seen throughout the alley, as well as dripping from the walls. He knew that she tried to fight back, but they must have bested her. And after approaching the fight, he could see why they did. It was three against one, and even if they weren't mages, a lot of treasure hunters were known for taking down mages without the use of magic.

He could see that one of them was pinning her down—he had an eyebrow piercing, just as Fujimoto described. Another one had green hair, as expected, while the third person was bald with various tattoos around their shaved head. Gray was quick to interfere with the fight, and managed to take the tattooed hunter by surprise. The other two then noticed his presence, and the green-haired hunter immediately came after him. He managed to knock him down, but he knew it wouldn't be for long.

"Get off her!" Gray yelled towards the hunter with his eyebrow pierced, but it was clear that he wasn't moving.

The two hunters had quickly gotten back on their feet and cornered Gray.

Groaning in frustration, Gray took his stance. "Ice-Make: Lance!"

He noticed that Juvia was struggling beneath the hunter's hold, and focused all of his energy on getting her away from him. It made him angry when he saw that the man was getting a _little_ too close to her, but he didn't expect anything less from them. The only thing he could do right now was get Juvia out of there.

Gray finally managed to get the two on the ground again, and he knew they wouldn't be up for a while—he froze their feet and hands against the cement.

"You," Gray growled. "Get off her."

As he approached the hunter, the man snickered. "I see the water lady has a boyfriend," he teased. "I'm so scared."

He rolled his eyes before punching the other man square in the jaw. As he toppled off of Juvia, Gray quickly pulled Juvia onto her feet and dragged her out of the alley.

"We have to follow them, Gray-sama!" he heard Juvia protest as they got closer to the streets.

"No," he said angrily. "I'm not going to let you risk your life again."

"Juvia had it under control!"

" _No_ , you didn't." Gray snapped.

"But they could lead us to Fujimoto's son!" the bluenette retorted. "We have to take this opportunity while we're ahead."

Gray thought about it for a moment, and decided that it would be a good idea.

"Fine."

And just like that, they were off.

* * *

Even if she was stupid for going out there when she shouldn't have, Juvia was glad that they got a lead. It would be better go after them now rather then go back to the motel and come up empty handed the next day. And she was determined to return Rowan to Fujimoto by sunrise.

Juvia had immediately took off running once Gray gave his approval. She knew he'd come around eventually, and she was glad that it was now. The fight she had gotten into had taken a wrong turn and the treasure hunters overpowered her. It was unwise of her to go into the alleys alone, but Juvia knew that there was something in there that would lead them to Rowan. She was right after all, and she just hoped Gray would thank her later.

As they managed to get closer to the treasure hunters, Juvia noticed that they entered a building. There was a hidden door that lead into one of the buildings, which she assumed was their headquarters. She was going to barge in there without thinking before Gray stopped her.

"We need to find another way in," Gray said, and Juvia nodded in agreement.

After searching around the door for a different entrance, the bluenette pointed towards a vent. It was small, but it she would fit in it.

Gray frowned. "You can't go in there alone."

"Gray-sama," she sighed. "Juvia has to do this. For Rowan and Fujimoto."

She noticed that he was hesitant, but Gray agreed. "I'll have to find another way in, but until then…"

"Communicate with Juvia through the lacrima."

He nodded, taking out his lacrima. "Here, I'll boost you up."

Once Juvia got the vent open, she was swiftly able to climb up into the vent with Gray's help. It was a tight fit, but Juvia managed to travel through the vents in a crawling position. After about ten minutes, she heard Gray talk to her through the lacrima.

"I'm gonna go inside and cause a distraction," Gray told her.

"Okay," Juvia replied. "Be careful, Gray-sama."

"You too."

She was able to pinpoint exactly when the distraction happened, because she could hear yelling coming from an opening to a different vent. She looked through the door to see Gray, who appeared to be throwing items across the room. Juvia giggled quietly before continuing farther into the vents. It would be easy to tell where Rowan was because the openings to the vent had a small window for her to look through. After looking through most of them, she saw that all of the treasure hunters in the building had went into the main room where Gray was.

Now was her chance. She could get Rowan out safely and take him back to his father. Juvia wouldn't fail—she _couldn't_ fail.

Juvia finally came across the room that had Rowan inside, and was quick to kick the door off of the vent. She pushed herself out of the vent before collecting herself back onto her feet. She saw that Rowan was tied to a chair, a piece of cloth tied around his mouth.

"I'm in," Juvia whispered into the lacrima.

"You most certainly are."

The bluenette's eyes widened, her body turning around so she could see the man behind her. It was the treasure hunter from before, the one with the eyebrow piercing.

"So this is why you wanted to know about us," he said, smirking. "I'm Ronnie, and you are?"

"You must not be very smart," Juvia hissed. "Juvia already told you back in the alley."

"Feisty."

Juvia noticed his smirk growing, and she began to get more and more nervous.

"Juvia? What's going on?" she heard Gray say into the lacrima.

She didn't waste any time; if she wanted to get out of this alive, she needed to attack.

"Water Nebula!"

Ronnie was pushed back against the wall from the force of her attack, and Juvia used that time to untie Rowan.

"Hello, Rowan," the bluenette said softly. "Juvia is here to help you. She will take you back to your dad. Can you get in this vent for me, please? It is the only way out of here."

Rowan said nothing, only nodded. Juvia boosted him up into the vent, and looked down towards the ground where Ronnie lied.

"Water Lock!"

Once the treasure hunter was trapped inside her water lock, Juvia climbed back into the vent and began leading Rowan towards the exit. She was incredibly anxious the whole way back, and the anxiety reminded her to check on Gray.

"Gray-sama! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied immediately. "How about you? Is Rowan okay?"

Juvia sighed in relief. "Juvia is fine. She is leading Rowan through the vents and out of the building."

"Good," Gray said. "The treasure hunters chased me around the alleys for a bit, but I lost them. I'm back in front of the vent."

She said nothing else due to the fact that she was close to the entrance of the building.

"Rowan, you will need to jump out of the vent," she told the young boy. "My partner will be ready to catch you."

Once Rowan was down and out of the vent, Juvia was able to jump out as well. She felt Gray's hands support her as she regained her balance. For the first time in a while, she genuinely smiled at him. It almost felt like things were back to normal between the two, but Juvia knew that their relationship was far from normal.

"We need to get out of here before the treasure hunters come back." Gray told them.

Juvia nodded as she began racing down the alley. After picking Rowan up, Gray followed closely behind her. It didn't take long for them to reach their motel room, and Juvia was more than excited to call Fujimoto with the news. As soon as she checked Rowan for injuries, the bluenette was happy to see that he wasn't hurt. It was good that the treasure hunters didn't do anything bad to him—all they really did was tie him up.

"Fujimoto," Gray said into his lacrima. "It might be dangerous for you to be at your home right now. Please meet us at our motel—we have Rowan, and he is okay."

From the quickness of the phone call, Juvia could guess that Fujimoto was rushing to get to the motel.

"That was a pretty stupid stunt you pulled back there," Gray said to her, taking her out of her train of thought.

Juvia sighed nervously. "Juvia is sorry."

"It's alright," he told her. "You did a good thing, though. We might have never found Rowan if you had actually listened to me."

"Maybe Juvia should stop listening to you more often."

The two of them laughed, feeling comfortable in each other's presence. Juvia felt like they would be okay, and that their friendship would soon return to normal. She was glad to see it happening, but she was also yearning to be with him in a romantic and intimate way. Even if she always wanted that, she couldn't help but want it even more.

After a few moments had passed, it didn't take long for Fujimoto to knock on their motel room. The reunion between the father and son was heartwarming, and Juvia felt accomplished and proud of herself. Gray was also smiling, which told her that she did something right. As Fujimoto and Rowan broke their hug, he approached the two mages.

"Thank you so much for bringing my boy back to me," Fujimoto told them, putting his arm around the young boy's shoulders. "Here is your reward. And, please, if you need anything in the future, I'd be happy to help you."

"Thank you, sir," Juvia smiled.

"Actually," Gray interrupted. "It might not be safe for you to return to your home. The treasure hunters may be looking for you and Rowan, so I would suggest staying in this motel for the night."

"Ah, alright," Fujimoto nodded. "And what if they come back?"

"Not to worry," the bluenette assured the man. "We will be sending some of our guild members to their headquarters tomorrow to arrest the treasure hunters. They will not be bothering you anymore."

Juvia could swear that she saw tears in his eyes. "That's wonderful."

The father and son had left their motel room, and made their way to get their own room. Juvia and Gray were left alone, but the silence wasn't awkward—it was comforting. She could feel Gray's eyes on her, but she tried not to look in his direction. She felt exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

"Juvia," Gray said, approaching her.

She turned around, meeting his eyes. "Yes, Gray-sama?"

"Good work today," he smiled genuinely. "If it wasn't for you, we probably would have never gotten Rowan out of there."

A blush crept its way onto Juvia's cheeks. "I-It was nothing."

"Well, it sure was something."

Juvia smiled, nodding.

They stood like that for a few seconds, before she felt Gray's lips against hers.

* * *

 **A/N:** cliiiiiiffffhanger! please dont hate me…. SO, this is the longest fic chapter ive ever written? im so proud of myself omg. i hope you guys liked it!

thank you so so so much to **IrishDreamer4** , **z** , **Baby pink 'n Baby Blue** (i always love reading your reviews, thank u so much! and your username is very nice imo), **cheese** , and **Guest** for leaving a review!

btw, what do you guys think is going to happen later in the story? i'd love to hear your predictions! anyways, till next time!


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